


The Gift

by angededesespoir



Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel)
Genre: (as in mink using his pipe), Bickering, Canon-Typical Drug Use, Canon-Typical Violence, Christmas, Food, Gen, Minor Injuries, Other, also- i think this is the longest fanfic. i've ever written?, death mention implied, minkss2014, okay- now this fic. has to be the most i ever used dialogue for. i am both surprised and impressed.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 12:52:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8980540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angededesespoir/pseuds/angededesespoir
Summary: [Oldfic- Originally posted Dec. 24, 2014, for Mink Secret Santa 2014.]The Scratch Members attempt to throw together a Christmas surprise for their Leader.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iamalsohere](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=iamalsohere).



> _**Prompt:** “I just want something where Mink is happy, but I’d really love something where Mink is spending Christmas with Scratch and they’re all one big happy family. This can be pre-game or even post-game where they visit him in America, up to you.”_
> 
>  
> 
> As stated in the summary, this is an oldfic [originally posted on [tumblr](http://angededesespoir.tumblr.com/post/106044898245/the-gift)], and a Secret Santa gift for [iamalsohere](http://iamalsohere.tumblr.com/). I also slipped out of the fandom for awhile & I've forgotten a lot of things, so I can't quite remember if it was mentioned in canon that Mink had any siblings?

_“Shut up, won’t ya! He’ll hear ya!”_

_“Well, maybe if you would hold the ladder steady so I wouldn’t fall!”_

_“I was holdin’ it steady! You just have poor balance!”_

One of the blond guys who was busy taping the lights to the walls, sighed heavily. _"Do you two ever do anything but fight? Seriously, not only are we not going to get this done in time, but you two are going to get your asses beat. I’m sure you’re all looking forward to losing another tooth, but let’s save it for another day.“_

The man holding the ladder huffed & gripped the cool metal harder, until his knuckles turned white. He vaguely heard the man above him grumble a few choice words.

They had been hard at work all day. Most of the team was off doing the tasks that Mink had assigned to them, but a few had stayed behind to make preparations for the surprise.

It had been a few years since Mink had set them free and created this ragtag team of cons & criminals. He had given them the greatest gift- freedom. Not just in the physical sense, either. He had awoken their sleeping minds and made them see all they had been missing and longing for all these years- all the things that had always been right in front of them all along.

They wanted to show how much they appreciated him. They wanted to give him a gift, too.

As the men busied themselves with their work, they thought of the past few years. Life on the team could be tough. First you had to be broken in and retrained, reprogrammed if you will. They were like family now, yes, but it wasn’t always that way. And even still, there was sometimes fights or bickering or the occasional teasing. 

If you were smart, you didn’t do this when Mink was around. He wasn’t particularly an all-out cruel man, but he expected things to go a certain way, for there to be order, and above all he expected to be obeyed. He wasn’t afraid to exert his control when necessary and he could truly show just how powerful he could be.

Mink was solitary, as they all quickly noticed. He didn’t voice his thoughts often. He didn’t give out more details of a plan than were needed. He liked to do things himself rather than rely on others to do it for him. 

And often he sat, staring off, a pipe on his lips and smoke in the air.

While they went about their days, close to each other, almost brothers at this point, Mink still remained distant and detached. He watched, but never joined in. 

Just like his bird.

So they wanted to do something for him. They wanted to celebrate something that was special to them. They wanted to officially welcome him into the family he created.

So they set to work discreetly, gathering the materials little by little, bit by bit. The living situation wasn’t ideal. Indeed, the room was a bit dank and dreary. But it was better than the streets or prison. And, with some lights stuck here, a wreath hung there, and a tree standing proudly, it looked halfway decent.

_"And now, just a little more and-”_

But the star never found the tree.

There was a huge crash as two men, a ladder, and a tree all came tumbling down.

The beginnings of a groan were cut off by the terrifyingly recognizable sound of boot meeting concrete & the monotone voice that, although not loud, echoed throughout the room.

_“Oi, what’s this?”_

The three men stared at each other in horror. Lights dangled from the wall, ornaments lay in shattered, shining red shards, littering the cold ground, and a strand of tinsel was drapped over one of the man’s heads, brushing persistently against his nose until he sneezed.

They were dead silent, fearing to speak and not really knowing what to say.

Mink moved forward and drew one of the men up onto their feet by their collar. _"Oi, answer.“_

_"W-well, um, Mink, sir, um, well, we, uh, thought-”_

There was laughter and chatter by the door as the rest of the group piled in.

_“Hey, look here, we’re back early. Time for the fun to-”_

The group went dead silent as their eyes took in the scene.

 _“Well, um, looks like this was bad timing, eh-”_ There were a few nervous laughs  & general shifting back towards the door.

Mink let go of the man’s collar and the man crumpled, weak-kneed, back to the floor.

_“Explain.”_

_“Well, uh, sir,”_ one of them began, nervously, but was interrupted.

_“Mink, sir, we know that this was unexpected, but for us this is a tradition. And, uh, well, sir, this year we wanted you to join us.”_

_“Yeah,”_ someone else chipped in. _"It would mean a lot to us.“_

_"We’re more than a team, sir. We- we’re family.”_

_“And, well, you’re part of that family, too, sir. Please, join us.”_

Everyone held their breaths as the tension filled the air.

Mink was silent for a second before he turned to glance down at the two men who still sat in stunned silence at his feet. 

_“Up.”_ He ordered. And as he turned and walked towards the couch, _“Get to work.”_

Unsure, everyone stayed in place, stunned.

As Mink lit the pipe and allowed Tori to perch on his shoulder, his gaze told them what they needed to know.

Everyone scrambled to clean up & salvage the shards of this so far disastrous event.

Ornaments were swept up, the few remaining were rehung or readjusted as the tree was righted and branches repositioned. Lights were quickly hung, and when they were finally turned on, cast a calming glow that illuminated both the good and the bad of the room.

The distraction of the cleaning helped to ease the tension, and while some worked, others began to bring in the treats- egg nog, popcorn, cookies shaped like Santa & snowmen, slices of ham, mashed potatoes and more. They were all laid out on a fold-out, partially lopsided table, that was covered by one of the men’s old moth-eaten blankets.

It wasn’t the prettiest setting. No, not by the least. But as they gazed around at all their hard work, they couldn’t help but be proud, and it showed in their faces- in the gleam in their eyes & width of their smiles as they gazed up at Mink searching for approval, for his opinion meant everything to him.

He said nothing, so one of the men took the opportunity to speak up.

_“Uh, Mink, sir, on the behalf of all of us, I’d like to give you this gift. It’s not much, but we thought you might like it.”_

He handed him the small box, poorly wrapped in red & green paper with a badly tied golden bow.

Mink held the present awkwardly in his hands before he slowly unraveled the wrappings, opened the box, and held up the contents for all to see.

It was a bracelet. Glossy, multi-coloured beads shun in the half-lit darkness as he examined the handiwork with careful and intense eyes.

_“We saw you used to wear one just like it all the time, back in the prison, and, well, we thought it was important to you. So we wanted to replace it, since the guard broke that other one. It’s…..okay, isn’t it?”_

Mink stares at the man for a few seconds before he nods & turns his eyes away as he slides the bracelet onto his wrist.

He turns his head back and, with a nod, gestures towards the table filled with food. _"Enjoy.“_

That’s all he says, in his monotone voice. 

And although they are not completely at ease, they decide that he has accepted their gratitude and their wish. They turn to the table in slowly growing chatter. There are belches and poorly sung tunes and a chorus of _"shut-ups”_ and this- this is the closest to family or home any of them will ever know.

Mink is still sitting, still distant- still just the bird watching everything it’s eyes see.

But he’s not here anymore. 

He’s in a distant land, and there’s a girl he calls sister. She’s smiling triumphantly at her first successful masterpiece and he’s watching as she runs to him, shouting for him to look. And he feels the beads, warmed by her patient fingers, roll across his skin as she tells him that she wants him to keep it forever, so he’ll never forget how much he is loved. 

The girl in his arms fades.

And as he puts the pipe to his mouth, there is the slightest of smiles on his lips.


End file.
